Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly of Nanofiber/Nanoparticle Artificial Skin for Strain‐Insensitive UV Shielding and Visualized UV Detection

Abstract

AbstractHere, a strain‐insensitive, durable, and visualized ultraviolet (UV) detectible multilayered artificial UV shielding skin (MUVS‐skin) is demonstrated. The electrospinning of polyurethane nanofibers and electrospraying of TiO2 nanoparticles are alternatingly conducted to assemble the MUVS‐skin. The results show that the stability of UV shielding property under different strains (50%, 100%, 150%, and 200%) is enhanced as more layers are assembled. The ultraviolet protection factor of the strain‐free MUVS‐skin (119 µm) is 10 810 and reaches to 5685 at 200% strain. Moreover, the effective transmittance (at 365 nm) of MUVS‐skin (119 µm) after being stretched for 10 000 cycles at 200% strain is only 0.125%. This stable UV shielding property is ascribed to the low‐level variation in the porosity of the multilayered structure, which originates from the enhanced slippage between adjacent layers. Furthermore, ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) can be precisely detected as the luminescence of blue and red for the MUVS‐skin integrates with a phosphor layer (MUVS‐skin/P). Owing to the excellent stable UV shielding property, visualized UV detection and durability against cyclic deformation, this MUVS‐skin/P might be extensively applied to the smart wearable artificial skin and protective clothing.